Light at the end of the Tunnel
by NeonFlower
Summary: When the nine of them made it out of that school, they knew hardships would follow. They may have been broken and beaten... but they weren't defeated.
1. Chapter 1

Thunder cracked across the skies, lightning flashing out. The dark room, partially lit from a single flickering light above, was silent accept the rain beating down on its windows.

Nine figures lay on the ground, all unconscious after a long and unexpected night. Some were covered in great, bloody wounds, while others barely escaped with nothing but a few scratches. However, the mental pain alone would do much greater damage than physical injuries.

One of the figures stirred as another crack of thunder and lightning filled the skies. The rain had finally started to settle down, until it was just a light drizzle. She rose with struggle, her body having been put through much more in one single night than she had endured in years. She winced as the splitting headache caused her pain, the cut on her palm pulsating. She blinked, looking around, realizing that they were home; all of them. They had escaped.

She attempted to stand up, but failed miserably, and huffed. She looked over to see a familiar blonde starting to stir, and smiled softly. Crawling over to him, she shook his shoulder to wake up.

"Kishinuma... Kishinuma, wake up. W-We're home," She talked to him, as he rose himself, grunting as his own head throbbed, the side of his face drenched in dried blood.

"W-What? We're back...?" He got a bearing on his senses, blinking as he glanced around them. A heavy weight of relief came off his chest as he recognized seven other figures, all starting to come to as well.

"T-Thank god... We all made it back safely..." He breathed, and she smiled. As the rest of the group gained back their senses, they realized they were actually home, all of them happy to have safely escaped. She breathed, seeing everybody else safe and sound; The Mochida siblings, Naomi, Seiko, Mayu, Sakutaro, Yoshiki, Ms. Yui...

"Aaah..." Their teacher let out a groan of pain, probably having suffered the worst of the nine. Blood covered most of her upper body as some knives stuck out from her back, still deep within. Her right arm was barely hanging on with what little skin was left, the bone having completely snapped off and muscle having been torn.

"Ms. Yui...!" She quickly rose to her feet, ignoring her own pain and running over to her mentor. She quickly got on her knees, kneeling over her teacher as she inspected the wounds. She couldn't touch them though, she was too skittish and afraid she would cause the woman deeper pain than what she was already suffering.

"I-I'll be f-fine, Shinozaki..." She coughed as she spoke, wheezing as another wave of pain shot through her arm.

"J-Just don't move, Ms. Yui... we'll get help..." She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes, having already seen one of her fellow classmates on their cell phone as they called for an ambulance...

* * *

She sat there silently in a small hospital room. After arriving at the nearest hospital, the nurses and doctors had gone to work on all nine of them. Her hand wound was treated, a bandage wrapped securely around her palm.

She looked up when her room door was opened. She blinked when Yoshiki stepped in, his head wrapped in a layer of bandages.

"Kishinuma... Shouldn't you be with a nurse?" She spoke with a hard tone, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah, they left, so I found my chance to get out," He replied sheepishly, avoiding her disapproving glare.

"Besides, I'm fine now," He reassured her.

"How much is 'fine'?" She deadpanned, and he gawked.

"It's just a minor concussion. It's nothing, really," He pressed, and she pressed her lips together, rolling her eyes.

"A concussion is a lot more serious than you think, Kishinuma. You could have a serious brain injury!" She put him on the spot, and he sighed nervously.

"Shinozaki, really. I'm fine," He continued.

"You're so irritable sometimes, Kishinuma," She sighed, closing her eyes. She looked back at him a moment later, a new concern on her mind.

"Have you heard any news on Ms. Yui or the others?" She asked, and Yoshiki shook his head.

"N-Not really. I've been too busy with the nurses bandaging my head..." He trailed off, his eyes focusing on the ground.

"O-Oh..." She paused. An awkward silence fell over them, lasting only a few moments before she realized something.

"Kishinuma?" She spoke up, catching his attention.

"Hm?" He blinked.

He didn't have another moment to react before she lurched off the bed, and tackled him in a tight embrace. The sudden action caused heat to rise to his face in a deep blush.

"Thank you, for protecting me," She spoke, her arms tightening around him. After a few moments of registering everything, he smiled softly, wrapping his arms around her. She broke the embrace after a while, backing up and brushing a few strands of hair out of her face. They didn't share any more words, Kishinuma simply smiled before turning and walking out, shutting the door behind him. She turned, walking over to her bed and laid upon it, smiling as she closed her eyes.

_Maybe, he isn't that bad of a person after all..._

* * *

After a long night, all he wanted to do is sleep. Even after the events that had occurred in the haunted school. His arm throbbed numbly; he had been attacked by another, taller student while searching for his sister. His arm was sliced open from the pocketknife the student carried. It was wrapped in a thick layer of bandages now.

He looked to his side, his younger sister laying against his shoulder as she breathed softly, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Nurses had allowed her to be with her brother, though they warned her to be careful. Her cheek and arms were covered in cuts, bandages covering any mild-threatening injuries. She smiled softly as she breathed contently, shifting her body closer to his. The blanket covering her slipped from her shoulder; he reached over and draped it back over her.

Another throb went through his arm, and he winced, laying his head against the wall. His body ached, and he knew that he would be sore in the morning. His eyes drifted to the two figures sleeping in the chairs next to his.

Naomi...

Shinohara...

He was grateful the two girls had survived. They were best friends and inseparable too. He let out a sigh when he had heard how Seiko had been hung by Naomi. Luckily, the taller brunette had saved her in time before the twin-bunned girl lost her life. Gauze and tape covered Seiko's neck, a hidden bruise embedded in her skin from the rope.

Another throb of pain broke his thoughts, and he let out a small sigh. He really just wanted to drift off to sleep, but his thoughts were preventing him from such things. The fate of his teacher and other friends was lingering in his mind, as he looked towards the exit of the waiting room. Some other people were in the chairs across from them, either sick or hurt. They didn't mind the four's presence.

He glanced back over at the two girls; both slumped onto each other as they slept. His eyes focusing on Naomi in specific. A small smile crossed his lips. She made his heart flutter, and he wouldn't know what to do without her. The thought of losing her pained him.

A few more minutes passed, and his arm finally ceased its throbbing. He was finally able to find peace, and his eyes shut...

* * *

She sat silently, peeking out the window of her hospital room. The lights from the city around the medical building seemed so welcoming. She pressed her hand against the cool glass, so unsure if it was real or just a dream. The constant, numbing pain on her cheek and stomach was a reminder of the wounds she had suffered. The ghost child had struck her with a pair of sowing scissors, her stomach hurting the most after being stabbed.

"Mayu...?" Her breathed hitched, turned towards the door as another person stepped into the room, and closed the door behind them. She blinked, realizing it was only Sakutaro, and smiled. She noticed a part of his face and head were wrapped in bandages.

"Shig-nii, what are you doing here?" She asked, using his nickname, as he walked over to her, looking bothered.

"I-I just... wanted to make sure you were okay..." He began, his voice wavering as he spoke. Her head tilted.

"Shig-nii?"

"Mayu... I'm... I'm sorry for what you had to see back in the school," He finally replied, the dim lamp light in the room shining against his glasses as he looked to the floor. Her brows furrowed, remembering that the school has caused him to turn into something he wasn't.

"Shig-nii... you know that you weren't in your right mind, you don't have to apologize," She rose from her chair, smiling sadly. He avoided her eye contact though, still looking at the floor. She frowned, blinking slowly. He had admitted to her, and only her that he had taken pictures of the dead people... corpses. She disapproved of it, but after they had made it out, he had snapped his phone and half and threw it away. He wanted no one to see what he had photographed.

"I-I'm just... sorry you had to witness me like that..." He spoke again, she felt bad for him. She walked forward, and wrapped her arms around his upper torso, hugging him tightly. He tensed up at her sudden affection, but calmed moments later, wrapping his arms around her small form tightly as he let out a sob.

"Everything will get better Shig-nii, I promise," She softly murmured into his ear, feeling him hug her tighter as another sob escaped him. She smiled sadly, rubbing his back in small circles to reassure him.

"I-I'm going to m-miss you," He managed to say between his tears. She closed her eyes, pressing the side of her face in his shoulder, feeling him shudder as he continued to sob. She realized what he had meant. She was due to leave today... but after the hospital had called her parents, their moving day had been postponed so that she could recover.

"I'll be with you, even if I'm far away Shig-nii," She cooed softly, and he only shivered, another sob escaping his.

"I-I don't w-want you to leave... I-I'll be alone... without you," He murmured.

"No you won't. You still have all of our friends to be with. Shig-nii, you'll be fine," She reassured him, leaning back to look at him. Tears still streamed down his face, and she smiled sadly. She placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping away his tears with her thumbs. She leaned upward, pecking his forehead gently, still aware of his injury to his head. The action caused him to blush.

Both stood in silence for a while longer, his tears having stopped. She pressed her forehead against his lightly, not wanting to hurt him. Their eyes closed as they enjoyed each other's closeness. They broke away eventually; he knew she needed to rest.

Sakutaro turned, starting for the doorway, when he felt his sleeve being caught. He turned, seeing her looking up at him sadly.

"Please stay... I really... don't want to be alone," She admitted, a light blush covering her cheeks. He blinked, his eyes widening.

"Of course..." He breathed, and she smiled.

_In his heart, he was grateful she was alive, she was okay..._

* * *

The sun had finally peeked over the horizon, the morning had finally come. Rainwater was still present, dripping off plants, and puddles formed in the streets. But the skies were clear of clouds.

Her eyes fluttered open, dim light peeking through the thin shades from the windows. She blinked a few times, realizing she wasn't in her home; her senses came to her quickly. She was lying on her side, still fully clothed as she slept on the hospital bed. It was rather uncomfortable.

She grunted as she rose, her body achy, and her head was sore. He hand throbbed with pain, and she bit back a hiss. She looked around her small hospital room, memories of the night before starting to come back to her.

Something caught her eye, and next to her bed, sitting in a chair against the wall as he breathed softly, was Yoshiki.

"Kishinuma?" Her voice cracked. The blonde didn't stir though, and she smiled sadly. He was so worried about her, probably slipped in here while she was asleep. He must have been exhausted, and was probably just as sore as her.

She breathed, looking towards the window of the room, faintly seeing the morning outside. She hoped everybody was okay.

A few minutes had passed; she walked out of her hospital room, being followed by a groggy Yoshiki. His head had hurt, but not as much as it had the day before.

"Ayumi! Kishinuma!" A female voice caught their attention. Yoshiki winced at the sudden noise. So maybe he wasn't completely better...

"Suzume!" Ayumi exclaimed, quickly making her way over to the smaller girl. Both embraced, and then breaking apart. From what Ayumi could tell, Mayu looked fine. Her eyes were bright, and she was smiling. They broke apart when Sakutaru came up to them, his eyes emotionless. Yoshiki came up behind Ayumi, rubbing his head.

"Looks like we're two of a kind, huh?" Yoshiki joked, and Sakutaro rose and eyebrow, smirking.

"I don't know... I really don't like comparing injuries with each other," Sakutaro replied nonchalantly. Yoshiki snorted.

"Come on, the nurse told us that the rest of our classmates are in the waiting room just down the hall," Mayu spoke up. With that, the four of them made their way down the hallway, towards the waiting room...

* * *

"Big brother..." A squeaky voice caused his eyes to flutter open, but winced as the lights above blinded him shortly.

"Yuka...? W-Where are we?" He questioned his mind still foggy.

"The hospital, silly! Remember?" She looked at him, tilting her head. His eyes went wide as he looked around in a moment's panic. Everything came rushing back to him.

"Satoshi! Calm down! Everything's fine!" Naomi, who was already awake, tried to settle her male classmate.

"N-Naomi? Is everyone okay?" He hadn't fully processed the end of her statement, and she smiled softly.

"Yeah. Everybody's fine," She reassured him, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow... never seen Mochida freak out like that. Good thing Naomi is here to calm him down~" Seiko chimed, and Naomi glared at her, a light blush covering her face.

"Big brother!" Yuka lunged forward and hugged him tightly, giggling.

"Ah, Yuka..." He let out a sigh, but couldn't help but smile at her playfulness. His arm throbbed again, but it didn't hurt as much as the night before. His expression turned serious moments later.

"Have you seen anybody else?" He asked, and Naomi shook her head.

"No... Nurses won't tell us anything," She replied, and he frowned.

"Big brother, are you alright?" Yuka leaned back, noticing his expression change.

"I'm fine, Yuka. Don't worry about me," He replied, giving a fake smile to her. Yuka didn't seem all that convinced though, but nodded anyways.

"Nakashima? Mochida? Shinohara?" A voice caused all of them to turn towards the entrance of the waiting room. Ayumi, Yoshiki, Mayu, and Sakutaro all stood there...

"Suzume! Shinozaki!" Seiko cooed, running over to hug the living daylights out of Mayu and Ayumi. Naomi only shook her head, wrapping her arms around her chest. Satoshi rose to his feet, going to greet Yoshiki and Sakutaro.

"You two are a sight for sore eyes," Satoshi smirked, Yoshiki placing his hands on his hips as he glared at the brun. Sakutaro stayed silent.

"Haha, very funny," Yoshiki replied sarcastically.

A few minutes were taken to catch up on their lost time from the night before, all were happy to be together again. They joked lightly, still aware that they were in a hospital. They stopped when a nurse came up to them, a smile on her lips. She was young, a clipboard in her hands.

"Are you, perhaps, the group that came along with Yui Shishido?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, we are... Is everything okay?" Ayumi stood up, a look of worry across her features.

"Yes, she made it out of surgery and is recovering right now... You can go see her in small groups... it's best to prevent stress on her," The nurse explained. Ayumi turned to her classmates, before looking back at the nurse.

"I'll go alone on this one," Ayumi replied, and the young woman nodded.

Once leaving the rest of the group, the two walked down the maze of hallways as she nurse led her to her teacher's room.

"You were really lucky to get your teacher here in time," The nurse spoke suddenly, causing Ayumi to jump slightly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes locking onto the older woman.

"She lost a lot of blood. Honestly, if you waited any longer, she probably would have died," She spoke, and Ayumi's heart lurched at the thought. She couldn't bare something like that. Especially after everything, they went through together in that school.

"Here's her room. Try to be quiet, she's been through a lot," The nurse spoke with tranquility. Ayumi would have glared at the older woman for saying such things, but she knew nobody else knew of their situation, so she kept silent and walked into the room.

_No kidding..._

* * *

The initial shock of seeing a person hooked up to so many wires and tubes slowly sank into Ayumi's heart. Minutes had passed since she first saw her teacher, and she was silently thanking the older woman for almost sacrificing her life to save their's.

Ayumi couldn't help but stare at the wrapped arm; last she had seen it, it was barely attached, all but hanging by skin. Her eyes came back to her teacher as the young woman stroked her gray cat's back. Even with the hospital's warnings, her parents had brought in the feline anyway. Monet was really all the woman had for company.

"I'm sorry," She spoke, looking towards the tiled floor. Her teacher blinked, confused.

"Shinozaki, why are you apologizing?" She questioned.

"If... If I hadn't found that stupid charm... You-We wouldn't be in this situation right now," She continued to look to the floor, not daring to look up at her teacher.

"Shinozaki... You didn't know... Besides, all of us are alive and well, right?" She smiled softly at her student, not really knowing what had happened to the rest of her class.

"Yeah... but all of us are hurt somehow... either it be physical or mentally," Ayumi started feeling tears form in the corner of her eyes.

"We'll get through this together, Shinozaki," She reassured, but Ayumi didn't seem convinced.

"But, Ms. Yui-"

"Don't be so defiant, Shinozaki. The hardest part is over. Now we can heal our wounds," She cut the younger girl off.

"But what if these wounds are scars..." Ayumi murmured, and she frowned.

"Scars can heal too. Their just a reminder of our past, and how we can avoid those situations in the future," She replied, and Ayumi finally looked up at her, her blue eyes shining as tears threatened to fall.

Ayumi realized that her teacher was right. Over time, with everybody's help, they could heal. They could recover from this ordeal. Together.

* * *

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**_I decided to revise this really old story, and make it into a multi-chapter. This is under an AU in which the Kisagari group make it out of Heavenly_ Host.**


	2. Chapter 2

It had been the one-year anniversary since that fateful night. The night in which the nine of them had been changed forever.

It was their senior year, only a few more months before they would released into the world. Upon coming back into the real world, the nine of them had grown closer to each other, depending on each other for support.

Within a few weeks after that night, Sakutaro and Mayu had announced to the small group that they were dating. The group saw it coming, Sakutaro was just too shy, and Mayu was afraid of rejection. But with that all aside, the two of them seemed to be very content. Of course, Seiko had always said that there could possibly be more matchmaking to be done in their small group. She would get them together too, even if it killed her. Naomi had always smacked her arm afterwards, telling her to be careful with her words.

The group of nine was still recovering from injuries they received. Ms. Yui, the teacher that had been caught in the mess, was still trying to regain feeling in her arm. The muscle and nerves had been damaged greatly, in which she had to undergo physical therapy to heal them. Some feeling had returned to her hand, but still struggled to ball it in a fist.

Mental injury had happened as well. The younger of the two Mochida siblings had trust issues with many people, even the group of nine. Her parents, her brother, and Naomi were the only ones she labeled as trustworthy. Her brother was the closest to the truth of her emotional issues. But he could only get so far before she would shut off and reframe from talking.

The nine decided to meet in that classroom after school. They all sat in a circle around each other, a single candle lighting that part of the room. Luckily, for them, there was no rain that day. The night had been clear, a half-moon in the skies while stars twinkled.

"Do you all have your pieces?" Ayumi Shinozaki, the indigo-haired girl that had started everything asked, glancing at all of them. Either reaching into their pockets, student I.D.'s, or wallets, the nine held that small piece of paper in their hand. Nodding, Ayumi took out her own piece. Silently, they all placed the pieces down in the middle, forming the Sachiko Ever After charm. Yui had always told them that they still had all each other, even if they were broken and beaten, they weren't defeated.

"I can't believe it's been an entire year..." She breathed.

"Hehe... it does kind of feel like it happened yesterday," Seiko laughed lightly, trying to enlighten the mood. Naomi nudged her shoulder, but couldn't help but smile at the smaller girl's enthusiasm.

"In a way... I feel like there should've been more to stopping the wrath of that school..." Ayumi replied.

"Sometimes... things are a bit more impossible than it seems at first..." Ms. Yui spoke up.

"We might've stopped Sachiko... but the school will continue pulling unaware people into its bloody walls," Ayumi blinked, staring at the candle's flame.

"B-But... I'm glad... that we all made it out," She looked up, her blue eyes shining as she glanced at the other eight.

Eventually, the lights were turned on and the candle was blown out. The nine pieces that lay on the floor, creating the charm before it was ripped apart. One by one, the nine of them took back their pieces and returned it to its safe place.

"Thank you for bringing me out here again..." Mayu confronted Ayumi, the indigo-haired girl cleaning up. She blinked and smiled.

"It was nice to see you too," Ayumi replied. Mayu, Nearly a week after her release from the hospital, had to move away. It had pained the group of nine, as they wanted to stay together as much as possible. But family overcame friends sometimes, and she was forced to move to a new area. She visited as much as she could, and she and Sakutaro tried to keep their relationship healthy.

It was around 7:30 PM, the group of nine exiting the school grounds. They stopped at the school gates, saying their goodbyes to each other. They shared a goodbye to Mayu. The chestnut-haired girl would have to leave for her hometown tomorrow. Luckily, tomorrow was the start of the weekend, so she could spend some time with Sakutaro and not have to worry about school.

As the group separated, Ayumi started for her home. Yoshiki stood there, looking in thought. He blinked before running after her. It was late at night, and her walking home alone could only spell trouble. Everybody else had gone home with somebody, except their teacher. But the older woman drove; she had less of a chance to be picked off by a stranger.

"H-Hey! Shinozaki!" He yelled for her, and she turned as the sound of her name.

"Kishinuma? Is something wrong?" She asked as the blonde walked up to her.

"Nah... I was just wondering if it be okay if I walked you home?" Yoshiki spoke, without stuttering once. He surprised himself.

For the longest time, for about three years now, Yoshiki had fallen for the indigo-haired girl, and crushed on her. Their group of friends, before the incident, would tease that Yoshiki wasn't forward enough. It was the main fact that Ayumi only had sights on for his best friend, and completely ignored the blonde except his studies.

After that night, something in the two changed. They grew closer; Ayumi had a need to stay by his side. He had proven himself as a different person while in that school. People said that they were together, in which they would deny it.

"Sure," She said, and he smiled softly. The two turned, continuing to walk down the sidewalk to her home. Her home was a bit more out of the way from his apartment, but he didn't care. Until she was safe, inside her house, he wouldn't go to his apartment.

Silence fell over them. Yoshiki felt antsy around her, the silence prickling his skin as they walked.

"So... uh... What are your plans when we graduate?" He spoke up, breaking her of her thoughts. He had to say something; he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Well... I'm planning to tend an Art University a few cities over from here," She replied, blinking at him. So... she was leaving the area. A tinge of sadness came over him at that fact. While he was excelling in his studies, he would never get to the point of any scholarships once he graduated. With the job he has now, he can barely pay for rent at times, so going to college was out of the question for him. If anything, he would be stuck in this area while the rest of the group moved on and out.

"O-Oh..." Was all he could say. She noticed how suddenly his expression changed, and her brows furrowed.

"Do you have any plans... Kishinuma?" To be honest, she had never asked him this. As far as she knew, he was living alone in a small apartment with a part-time job.

"No... I really don't. I guess I'll be stuck here while the rest of you split up and go your separate ways..." He breathed, and she frowned. She didn't know what to say. Sure, they would visit... but he would still be living here, never being able to move on. He would be free from school... but he'd still be locked up in this small city while the rest of them got to go out and explore the world.

The rest of the walk home was quiet again. The mention of college and life after school had skyrocketed the awkwardness. He just wanted to get her home so he could go sleep out his problems.

When they arrived at her house, Ayumi paused, standing before the steps of her house. He blinked, confused as to why she wasn't going in.

"Shinozaki?" He spoke her name, and he saw her jump a bit. She turned to him, and gave a reassuring smile.

"I-I'm fine... I just... Uh... Thank you for walking me home," She stammered, smiling. He could tell it was fake though, seeing through her horrible acting as if something wasn't wrong.

"Y-Yeah... um... Goodbye," At this point, he just wanted to get home.

"W-Wait, Kishinuma!" She called for him, and he turned to see her quickly walking over to him. Before he could ask, she leaned up, pecking him on the cheek. She backed away, intense heat starting to make way to her face. His wasn't any better. She turned and ran up the steps, waving to him before stepping inside the house, the door closing quickly.

After everything registered, his face was still flushed, but he smiled. He looked at her doorstep one last time before walking off towards his own apartment.

Once inside, she breathed, closing her eyes. She had just done that, and she didn't feel disgusted. She actually felt... giddy. Letting her heart rate slow to normal, she headed for her room, quick to discard her bag and books.

"Ayumi! There you are!" Her older sister, Hinoe, had heard the door shut, only figuring that her sister was home. The older woman took notice of how... happy her sister was, sensing that something was up.

"Big sis! I'm sorry if I kept you all worried," Ayumi smiled when her older sister appeared. She only guessed her mother was in the kitchen while her father was still out working.

"Oh it's no problem... So... did you... meet up with everybody tonight...?" Hinoe asked, and Ayumi nodded before heading over to her room. She placed her bag and books on the floor, before shutting the door. Meeting up with her sister, she went on to tell her about today's events...

* * *

The two of them walked down the quiet streets. Now in a smaller part of town, it wasn't as busy. The occasional car would drive down the road, but there was no one else out.

"I'm really glad we we're able to meet again..." Mayu spoke, breaking their silence. Sakutaro looked over to her, smiling softly. His hand that was around hers tightened, never wanting to separate.

"It's nice to do something like this. No one else understands the pain we've gone through," He replied.

"Yeah..." She murmured, her eyes focusing on the sidewalk. They continued for a few more minutes.

"Mayu?" He turned to her, sudden worry present on his features. She looked up to him, blinking as she noticed his expression.

"What is it Shige-nii?"

"Have you... had any problems with your stomach?" He asked. She blinked again. Mere weeks after the accident, she had to submitted to the hospital again. The stab wound to her stomach was more severe than originally thought. She had to get surgery, and ever since then, she had problems that affected her everyday life.

Of course, Sakutaro had been by her side during her recovery, never leaving her no matter what.

"A-Ah... I've been doing well lately... Thank you for asking though," She looked to the ground, growing silent again.

"I just... I hate to see you in pain..." He spoke, and she glanced up at him again, a small smile crossing her lips. She leaned in closer to him, nudging his shoulder.

"Thank you... It's nice to know that I have someone that looks after me," Mayu twiddled her thumbs, feeling heat come to her face. Sakutaro felt a blush coming over his face.

Another few minutes passed, just blocks away from Sakutaro's home. Mayu's parents had allowed her to stay with him over night. Her father didn't trust him as much, but still approved of him as a perfect boyfriend for his daughter.

Sakutaro felt Mayu shiver, a plume of breath escaping her lips. That was when he realized that it started to snow. The small, white flakes came down in a calming manner.

"Here," He stripped of his outer jacket, and draped it over her shoulders. She shook her head.

"Won't you get cold too, Shige-nii?" She questioned, her brows furrowing.

"I'll be fine. I don't want you getting sick," He remarked quickly, refusing to take back the jacket. She let out a sigh, but loved his affection for her. She grabbed the edges of the fabric, bringing it closer. She could smell his cologne, her blushed face growing deeper in color.

"C-Come on, let's get home. I don't want to get caught in this storm," Sakutaro adjusted his glasses, his own blush deepening. The sight of her in his jacket was a flustering him. Grabbing her hand, they continued down the sidewalk...

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

A light snow covered the ground the next morning. People were waking up to small snowflakes floating to the ground. The day would continue as a normal Saturday, just a bit chillier.

Yui rarely went out apart from her job as a teacher. It wasn't the fact that she didn't like to get out, she just couldn't. Her income as a teacher wasn't all that high, so affording leisurely things was hard to come by.

However, today, she had decided she would go to the small café just down the street. Her apartment was cold, and she had nothing warm to eat or drink. A cup of coffee didn't sound bad to her.

Wrapping her scarf around her neck, she turned to her pet cat Monet, the grey cat sitting there as he watched her leave. She knelt down, petting his head with her good hand.

"I'll be back in a bit, okay? Stay out of trouble," She replied, before rising back up and exiting the apartment. She was met with even more cold, and shivered, stuffing her hands into her pockets. She still found it difficult to move her hand. The hours that she had undergone to regain feeling back in her arm was hard but worth it.

Walking across the street quickly to avoid cars, she stepped into the small café, immediately feeling the heat and the smell of sweets. It was inviting, especially on a cold winter morning like this.

After ordering her drink, she came over to a small, empty table next to the window. She brought out her hand, settling it against the hot surface of the Styrofoam cup. She wanted to hold it, but her hand was still recovering. She let out a sigh and picked it up with her good hand and sipped at it.

The door opened again, the bell ringing to warn employees of a new customer. It was a young man, dressed in a long trench-coat, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and long sweat-pants. As he waited for his drink to be made, he gazed over to the few other people in the small café. Suddenly, his eyes stopped on a young woman, her head turned to the window.

He blinked, gazing at her for a moment longer. The man behind the counter caught his attention, and he turned, taking his drink from the man.

Once it was given to him, he turned back to her. He knew her. Breathing, he walked over to her, having decided to confront her.

"Y-Yui?" She jumped when someone said her name. She quickly looked away from the window, and saw a young man standing before her. Her eyes widened, recognizing him.

"Tsukasa?!" She exclaimed, mere shock running through her veins. She hadn't seen or heard from him since their high school years. Out of all the cafés in Japan, and this was the one he walked in.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asked, and he blinked, tilting his head.

"Coffee break," He replied.

"W-What?" She stuttered. He chuckled at her, and sat in the chair across from her.

"I'm on break. It isn't easy being a veterinarian y'know," He replied, and she blinked.

"W-Wait, you care for-"

"-Animals? Well of course. I've always wanted to be one... and I seems like I got the job," He cut her off.

"Wow... I-I just... That's great Tsukasa," Yui breathed, looking back down at her cup.

"It's nice to see you again," Tsukasa finally broke the silence, and Yui looked up at him. She smiled sheepishly. She could clearly see how much he had matured since their high school years. He looked handsome.

"Y-Yeah... it's great to see you too," She spoke, and he grinned before taking a sip of his drink. Her eyes went unfocused, and she absentmindedly tried to grab her cup with her wounded hand.

"A-Ah..." She squeaked, her mind finally registering that she wasn't going to get anywhere and picked the cup up with her other hand. Her eyes traveled to anywhere else except him. She could feel the heat of embarrassment crawl to her face.

"Yui? Is there something wrong?" Tsukasa asked, noticing how she had a hard time trying to grab her drink.

"N-No... nothing's wrong," She reassured nervously. Not only had he grown in physical feature, but he had grown smart too. He wasn't that oblivious teenager he was in high school.

"Are you sure...?" He tilted his head, his brows furrowing.

"...Yeah," She paused. He was persistent too.

The two continued to catch up from the lost years until he had to return to the animal clinic. As she rose to pay for her drink, he stopped her short.

"I'll pay for it," He remarked, and she blinked.

"B-But-"

"No but's. It's the least I can do," He smiled, heading over to the counter. At that point, the heat started to return to her face. She couldn't possibly still be crushing on him... right?

After he paid for the both of them, they said their goodbyes and separated, going opposite ends of the sidewalk. As she wrapped her arms around herself, she couldn't help but think about him.

Would they see each other again? She hoped so...

* * *

"Come on Naomi! You have to be assertive if you're ever going to get through to him!" The two brunettes sat on the Naomi's bed as they chatted among each other. Seiko, knowing that her siblings were off at friends houses, had spent the night.

"Seiko! I-It doesn't work out like that! Plus... He's kind of oblivious... how do you know he'll return my feelings?" Naomi held her hands over her chest, leaning back.

"Oh come on! The entire school knows of you have a crush on the Prince Charming of 2-9! Well except the Prince Charming himself," Seiko laughed nervously, scratching her head.

"W-Well maybe it's not meant to be then... I mean..." Naomi trailed off, a solemn look coming across her features. Seiko frowned, hating to see her best friend so saddened by this.

"Don't think like that! It's always meant to be! I'll get you two together by the end of the week!" Seiko declared, and Naomi didn't like the sound of that.

"S-Seiko..." She breathed. But she couldn't change the smaller girl's mind to save her soul. Once Seiko was on a mission, she would stick with it until her last breath.

That night, as they lay in Naomi's bed, snuggled close together for a source of heat, the taller brunette was half-asleep when she heard shuffling next to her.

"Naomi?" A whisper caused her eyes to flutter open, and she saw Seiko mere inches away from her face.

"S-Seiko? What's wrong?" She murmured through half-lidded eyes.

"Promise me you will stay with me forever... even when you're married," Seiko had to reassure her heart. A year ago two nights ago, she had asked the same thing. But, so much had happened since then, and Naomi would've surely forgotten about it.

"Of course... I never break my promises... especially with my best friend," She whispered, and Seiko smiled.

"And maybe make me your maid of honor when you get married to Mochida," Seiko giggled. Naomi felt heat rush to her face, her eyes widening.

"S-Seiko!"

* * *

_**Sorry guys, I'm going for Satoshi/Naomi pairing this time around. I'd also like to point out that Chapter 2 was updated with another part. **_

_**Like always, Favorite, Follow, or Review!**_


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